In essence, overnight, top communists transformed into Estonian freedom fighters. While the people stood open-mouthed at the Song Festival Grounds, watching “Shoulder-to-Shoulder Man” Linna in great “freedom euphoria,” the Reds, who had suddenly lost power, were sitting in back rooms, making plans on how to regain control. By the time the singing frenzy subsided, and most people had pledged to survive on potato peels if needed, the Red Barons emerged from the shadows. The Lenin Order on their chests had been swapped for blue-black-and-white badges, and they were all boasting about how they had fought for Estonia’s freedom since birth. Joining the Communist Party, of course, was just a cover for their grand plan to overthrow the USSR, and each claimed they singlehandedly caused the collapse of the Soviet Union.
A phenomenal transformation – in just one day, top communists became Estonian freedom fighters. Today, they threw critics of the ruling regime behind bars, but tomorrow, they themselves were the “biggest” critics, leaving the previous so-called enemies of the state to languish in prison until their sentences were served.
(At that time, I was sitting in custody after being caught trying to escape the Soviet Union. While deserters from the Soviet Army were granted amnesty and rehabilitated, scum like me weren’t deemed worthy of attention, even though I submitted multiple applications and requests. And I wasn’t the only one left in this scum-status limbo.)
Thus, ever since Estonia’s “great” re-independence, I’ve seen the same Reds in power. Just look – Red Colonel Laaneots, who, as a military commissar, sent Estonian boys to Russia, the farther and colder in Siberia, the better, suddenly became the head of the Estonian Defense Forces. Ansip, who ordered the police to release dogs on students protesting against the Soviet Union, became the Prime Minister of Estonia. Examples like these could fill a book.
Today, they’ve handed their mantles to their children and grandchildren, but the real power still lies in the hands of the same entities. As in robber capitalism, they’ve adopted mafia-like methods of governance – intimidation, canceling, extortion (arbitrary taxation), and rewarding their supporters with money or cushy, well-paid positions in the state apparatus, not to mention countless paid positions in various boards and councils. If needed, they’ll even change the law for a single individual to ensure that a specific person gets the promised role for their “services.” Or is it not exactly like this?!
In the end, the entire social order and truths are inverted – the biggest demagogues and populists accuse others of being demagogues and populists, the most loyal Putinists accuse others of being Putinists, economic failures blame everyone else for their mess, and the so-called great tolerants and liberals are the most qualified executioners and organizers of witch hunts.
I truly believe Estonia’s end is very near. And the coming year will be one of the hardest in Estonia’s history. Of course, this is just my subjective opinion, but… time will tell.
/Margo Luarvik/
